Mr. John Kearney:

To follow on from Senator Malcolm Byrne’s observations, I concur with the previous point by Deputy Alan Farrell. There is tremendous affirmation due to the young students of Ireland. If we go back to our own school days, if we were told that we were going to spend a full, complete year in our various schooling communities, separated from our peers by a distance of a metre, and wearing masks up and down the school corridors, I am not sure we would have been eager or enthusiastic about taking that on. That is what every young student in this country did. Not only that, they also faced tremendous disruption of their learning for three or four months. This is the second year in which their teaching and learning was interrupted. This happened across all school disciplines and regulations. A tremendous note of appreciation is due to students and teachers in accommodating that. The various options ahead are challenging for students. The extra guidance support which the Department facilitated was greatly appreciated within schooling communities. It offered much needed pastoral, emotional, guidance, and assistance to our young students.

The benefits of the new SOLAS further education and training, FET, strategy are multi-faceted. It looks at further education into schools and into higher education. There are more and more options. Again, it is about offering every support to the learner so that the best option for them is selected, at all times. Education and Training Boards Ireland very much welcomes the approach-----